POLL: Apple's Christmas Commercial Is Incredibly Sentimental And Likeable, But Not Informative Enough

Older women are the biggest fans of the ad.
YouTube/Apple
Apple released a Christmas ad a few days ago that many people found to be a real tearjerker.

In it, an aloof teenage boy seems to be ignoring his family throughout their holiday vacation. He's glued to his iPhone.

But then, on Christmas morning, he turns on the TV and reveals to everyone that he wasn't on Twitter or playing a game the whole time — he was making a video chronicling their time together. Cue smiling and crying.

Television analytics company Ace Metrix found that the commercial, called "Misunderstood," is the most emotional tech ad of the holiday season but could have been a stronger advertisement if it showcased Apple's hardware more.

"Misunderstood" earned a total score of 607, notably above average but not enough to break into the holiday season's top 10 ads. Samsung's "It's A Miracle" spot for the Galaxy Gear smartwatch is the only tech ad in that list, with a total score of 649, earning it the No. 6 spot.

The Apple ad did, however, earn incredibly high scores for likeability (698), its ability to hold attention (698), and relevancy (672).

Its average was dragged down by its lack of enough product information to inspire a purchase. Sure, the ad might make viewers cry, but its pitch isn't strong enough to compel them to buy an iPhone as opposed to a smartphone from Samsung or Nokia.

Women gave higher scores than men did, and the ad's biggest fans were women 21 and older. Older men liked it better than younger men.

Here's the ad, in case you haven't seen it yet:

Apple and its ad agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab have struggled throughout the year trying to find a balance between emotional impact and brand relevancy in an increasingly competitive field.

So while "Misunderstood" might not tout the Apple brand as much as it could have, its emotional impact works well enough to warrant considering the promotion a strong way to send out 2013.

Here's the full-length "home video" from the ad, actually shot on an iPhone 5S: